I have a 98 2.7 4X4, body lifted, with 180,000 miles on it and still running strong. The shocks are thrashed and the ride is crappy and loose. I want to replace the shocks for as cheaply as possible, but still have a decent setup for road and off road. Everyone says to run the Billy 5100. What does everyone think about either the Rancho 5000 series, the Rancho 9000 series and the ProComp shocks? The Bilsteins sound good, but I am short on cash and am considering my options. Will I have to replace my springs up front as well? I want to keep the same basic height, maybe an inch or two of lift, but I drive this rig everyday to work, so I don't need it too tall.

I am a pretty mechanically inclined guy, so I imagine I can do this myself. Is there a good link for doing a swap for a 1st gen rig?

I just replaced my stock bilsteins with a set of 5100s in the front and 5125s in the rear. I'm very happy with the ride improvement both on the highway and on the trails.

I didn't replace any springs or anything like that, but I did take advantage of the adjustability of the front shocks by putting them in the middle setting (that's .75" lift I believe), which helps to keep my 265/75/16s from rubbing on the frame when I go over obsticles and whatnot.

I know you guys might be paid spokesmen for Down South Motorsports, but is that the cheapest place to get 5100's?

Is that all I am going to need for the front end? I can do the labor myself, I am pretty sure, but what else do I need to get to make this happen? How much are new springs and are they necessary?

No one here is a paid spokesperson for DSM that I know if...Sonny just gives TW the hook up on parts and is super knowledgeable about the stuff he sells. You can reuse the stock springs and all the hardware with the 5100's.

So you'll need a spring compressor to remove the old shocks and install the new ones....and then a jack to get the weight off the wheels...There is a how to remove the front strut post around here somewhere.

I also have a 1st gen. and would like a similar suspension. I drive a lot of highway and would like something adjustable so I can lift it only when I need to. I chekced out Down South Motorsports. The set (all 4) of them, do they need to be adjusted before installation or can they be adjusted as needed.